vitamin a(lcohol)
by mirajens
Summary: college au: Mirajane talks to Laxus about her gag reflex, or lack thereof.


**vitamin a(lcohol)**

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The first thing Mirajane sees is ass. Really nice, athlete ass that she can appreciate and recognize despite the questionable jeans and the awful lighting of the bar. Laxus has always had a pretty good pair, a constant source of excitement when his shift at the gym starts the same time Mirajane's shift did, mostly among the females who Mira doesn't think herself exempt. She just has the subtlety the girls in her self-defense class don't.

Maybe she should say hello. She could put in a little work outside of the inane, one-sided banter they share by the staff room water cooler. But after vodka with Cana, Mirajane doesn't feel up to wrestling her way through the thick crowd to bask in Laxus' obvious disinterest in their current setting and she doesn't think that standing up at all is a good idea. Laxus looks just a bit uncomfortable, kind of like he normally does when there are too much people in the gym, and since Mira never does anything outright to abate the discomfort, she might as well sit back now and enjoy the ambiance.

But somehow, through the haze of the club patrons and the beat that pulsed like the strobe lights, he catches Laxus' eye so she's torn between waving or looking away, cheeks reddening at the embarrassment of getting caught staring. But Mirajane is a little bit drunk and she feels like being funny so she cups a hand around her lips and mouths, "I have no gag reflex."

It almost has its desired effect. From across the room, Laxus turns red before he smothers his embarrassment with irritation that is hard to surface. He glares at Mirajane before he starts looking over his shoulder as if to check if she really is addressing him and not some equally sloshed college boy behind him. No one in immediate vicinity looks suspect and looking back now, Mirajane's big eyes are on him, following his every move and beckoning him over with no gesture or word.

Laxus doesn't know what alien force makes his feet start moving but soon enough, he is shoving people too drunk to mind out of his way so he can be by her side. Mirajane remains perched on top of the bar stool she's on, glossy-eyed and happy. Waiting for him to move first. He saw her come in with Cana and Gray earlier tonight. Where were those idiots anyway? Who leaves drunk friends alone to embarrass themselves like this?

"You," Laxus tells Mirajane, a scowl on his face, "Are wasted, Strauss."

Hearing so, some easy pleasure washes over Mirajane, amplified by the liquor coursing through her veins and the overall vibe the night instils in her. It feels so easy to be careless when she's drunk. "Nonsense!" she caws, and it sounds like _nah-sess_ more than anything. _Careless, right?_ She slings an arm around Laxus' neck, and its simpler now than it would have normally been because her bar stool boosts her up to Laxus' considerable height. "I haven't had too much to drink. I think you just haven't had any, so get on my level." Her grin is just a watt below blinding and plenty worrying in its enthusiasm."Bartender! Give my friend here something strong, will you? He needs excitement in his life." Swaying just a little bit, she thumps a palm against Laxus' chest, an unnecessary show of _bro_ as if she doesn't normally appreciate the fine shape of his ass in sweat pants or how delectable he looks covered in sweat after his Judo classes.

Laxus has no time to protest in between thinking of swatting Mirajane's arm off and the bartender placing a stout whiskey by his elbow. "I can't drink this, Strauss. I'm driving tonight. I'm fine with what excitement my life already has, thanks."

"I'll have to enjoy it for you, then." Effortlessly, she takes the glass and a sip of the drink. No need for a six dollar up on her tab to go to waste. She doesn't know what excitement means in Laxus' books. He seems just like one of those guys who has enough fun sitting in front of his flat screen watching Monster Truck Ralley and maybe knocking back a few beers on a weeknight. And that's fine on regular days, but Laxus is already in a bar and he might as well ruin his life a little. God knows this place is the prime location for it where dreams and STDs happens. "Sit down." Mirajane says as she gives the older boy no choice seeing that she's shoving him into the neighboring stool. "I didn't expect to see you here. What deity dragged you out of your cave?"

Laxus looks indignant. "Jellal was moping so I took him out for a drink and if you know anything about Jellal there's no in between of not having any drinks and getting white girl wasted." To prove his point, he gestures to where the blue-haired scholar sat in a circle of Biology majors urging him to chug a whole pitcher of beer. Mirajane tries to smother a laugh behind her hand and almost chokes on it.

"Now you absolutely have a little fun with me. I'll pay for your cab home." She shakes the glass in offering to him.

The look Laxus gives her is wary. "If your having fun means you demonstrating your lack of gag reflex, I'd rather not. I believe you, you lush."

Now Mirajane does laugh, full-bellied and infectious if Laxus' smile is any indication. "You're cute, Laxus." Her fingers tap against the cold chrome of the bar, sticky from a long night. Hey, just like the other patrons. "Don't you worry. I have no fondness for demonstrating anything in a dirty club bathroom. You might have to buy me some dinner if we're putting that on the table."

Laxus feigns nonchalance with a shrug but his face is bright pink. He can't believe cheerful, pristine little Strauss is propositioning him so outright. He never even got the feeling that she was interested since all that had transpired between them in the two years they'd been working at the same gym were polite greetings and stolen glances. Though she probably doesn't think he notices how her eyes tend to follow the line of hair from his belly to the hem of his shorts when he uses his shirt to wipe the sweat off his neck. "Maybe. If you want me to ask you out, I'm pretty sure that's a more polite invitation than talking about your gag reflexes."

Now it's Mirajane who turns red. "I have no great moments of judgement when Cana plies me with vodka."

In a show of comfort, Laxus pats her shoulder awkwardly. "I'm not judging. I don't even need vodka to be stupid."

"You?" Mirajane doesn't even try to hide her look of disbelief. "You look like you're always too grumpy to have any college-esque fun." Which translated to stupidity, really.

"Me and Jellal aren't friends for academia, trust me." He doesn't explain further. He has no desire to regale stories of his frat party days where he thought dunking his head in a tank of beer was smart or hotboxing his dorm room was a regular Wednesday night thing.

Now Mirajane was curious. "You keep a girl in suspense."

"You have to buy me dinner if you want me to even consider telling you about those."

Mirajane smiles up at him. "Now we're talking. I was wondering how long it would take for you to take me out."

"No later than this month. My grandfather's in a hundred dollar bet with his friend about who gets a great grand child first." Seeing the baffled look on Mirajane's face makes him curse himself. He really should start smiling when he tells his jokes. "I'm being facetious."

"Oh, good." Mirajane sucks in a breath to calm her pulse down "'Cause children are a big jump from gag reflexes."

He feels better in his element now so Laxus leans into her so the heat of his breath can touch her cheek. "You really know how to motivate a guy to buy you dinner, baiting him with a promise like that."

Mirajane suppresses the shiver that wants to travel up her spine. "Maybe I just don't want your poor grandfather to lose a hundred bucks."

That, Laxus can appreciate. He almost wants to hug her for it. "Well, this won't count as dinner seeing that it's 3 am but I want some waffles right now and iHop has the greasiest bacon to sop up all that vodka you had."

Mirajane is already standing, clutching at his forearms to keep herself steady on ice pick heels and legs wobbly from alcohol. "What about your friend?"

Laxus doesn't even look over his shoulder to check for Jellal as he directs Mirajane to where he is parked. "I'll pay for his cab."

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 **note:** So. Don't tell me Mirajane isn't a fun drunk. Or Jellal. That boy was made to chug pitchers of beer to impress college kids. I don't think Laxus is a club/bar man at all. I think he gets embarrassed by everyone's stupidity and would rather drink in peace. And pls can u imagine him and mira working at a gym and checking each other out in sweaty gym clothes.


End file.
